Improvement in apparatus for grinding harvester-cutters



' www No. 123,088. Patentedlamso, 1872.,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JAMES H. OURRAN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

:IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR GRINDING HARVESTER-CUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,088, dated January 30, 1872.

To all Ywhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. CURRAN, of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sickle-Grinders for HarvestingMachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact de. scription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l represents a plan or top view of my improved sickle-grinder as in use. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of thesame, showing in dotted lines the nature of its operation.

My improved self-governing grinder is constructed to be used for sharpening the harvester-sickle without removing it from .the cutting apparatus or guard-fingers. 'Ihe invention embraces the means of securing and retaining the grinder in proper relation tothe beveled edges of the sickle, while the grinder can be moved longitudinally (as it rotates upon the sickle-blade) by the operator, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

y In the drawing, A denotes the bed-plate, to which the cross-piece B is pivoted and the arm C is hinged. The frame-piece D is hinged by a rule-joint to the top of the hinged arm C, and the adjustable box-frame Eis connected to the front end of the frame-piece D by a pivot, upon which it can be adjusted to tighten the belt o by means of the segmental perforated arm F. The arm F is secured by screws to the boxframe E, and this curved arm works through a slot, ac, in the .frame-piece D, as represented in dotted lines in Fig. 2. There is a hole, z, for a pin to be inserted laterally through the frame-piece D, and through either of the perforations in the segmental arm F, by which means the box-frame E may be adjusted and held in any necessary position to tighten the belt o. The shaft H, which is journaled in the box-frame, extends a suitable distance on each side of the frame, and is provided with a small pulley, I, for the belt o. A large belt-pulley, J, serving as a crank-wheel, having a handle, m, is connected to the right-hand side of the piece D by means of a suitable journal-pin. The grinder K has a beveled face, that it may, when brought down to its work, be parallel with the beveled edge of the sickle knives.

= The grinder, which may be of emery, is secured by the nut N upon the shaft H, and may be applied to either end thereof, so as to occupy the proper relation to the sickle to grind either edge of the beveled blades.

In using my grinding-machine, the pivoted cross-piece B will be placed under the ends of two of the guard-fingers b of the cutting apparatus of a harvester, and the bed-plate A will rest upon the linger-bar a', as represented in Fig. 1 ofthe drawing; and it will be held in place by the knee of the operator, which will be placed upon the rear end o' of the bedplate A. The operator will so adjust the bed plate as to bring the beveled face of the emery-wheel K fairly against the bevel of the sickle-blade a.; and when so adjusted on its pivot S the operator will grasp the handle M with his left hand and the crank m with his right hand, and as he rotates the wheel J to cause the grinder K to revolve, he can, by means of the handle M, cause the grinder to move backward and forward along the beveled surface of the sickle-blade to sharpen it. The hinges at f g will allow this reciprocating movement, and will also govern the grinder, so as to prevent any laterally-rocking motion, and it will follow the same horizontal plane during its operations. When one side or edge of all the sickle-blades have been sharpened the grinder will be changed to the opposite end of the shaft H, and the sickle will be moved in the guard-fingers so as to bring the other edges of the blades in between the fingers to be ground in the saine manner. This implement may be readily applied and held in proper position to do its work without detaching the team from the machine or making any other preparation than as above stated. I propose to apply a suitable spring to the arm C or to the frame piece D, so as to connect one or both of these parts with the bed-plate A, and thereby cause a slight resistance to the longitudinal movement described, and also to hold the grinder down to its work. Another modiflcation of my machine may be made which will reduce the cost of the structure and at the same time it will be capable of substantially the same operation-namely, the crosspiece B and bed-plate A to the dotted lines P P, Fig. 2, may be removed and the rear portion of the bed-plate, to which the arm C .is hinged, may be enlarged so as'to'rest-upo'n the ground behind the `outting apparatus, or upon the platform, and when so arranged the knee of the operator will hold the machine steadily to its Work. I also'propose to attachy one or more Wedges to the bed-plate A, which may be used when necessary to adjust the machine so as to bring the face of' the grinder in proper relation to the sickle edge under all the varying conditions which may arise.

Having described -Iny new Asickle-grinder for harvesting-machines, what I claiin herein as myinvention is- 1. The adj ustable;y grinder. SK, shaftv H,.ffran1e scribed.

2. The combination of a sickle-grinder and its; operating mechanism,rwith a bed-plate and its hinged connections C D, organized and used sbstantially as and for the purpose described. Witness -m'yhand this 113th day of Septem- JAMES H. CURRAN.

ber, A. D. 1871.

Witnesses: .Y Y

H. P. K. PEGK, C. P. BURGEsS. 

